


(This is Not a) Love Song

by menel



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men (Original Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dating, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-18 18:09:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10622316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/menel/pseuds/menel
Summary: Written for the X-Men Kink Meme prompt: ‘Wolverine plans date night for him and Scott. Scott is surprised and super touched that Logan cares as much as he does.’





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scottxlogan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scottxlogan/gifts).



> This is for scottxlogan who said she needed more fluffy, romantic Scogan in her life. My dear, I wholeheartedly agree that angst is so much easier to write. So, while this fic starts angsty, it does end happily.

Logan’s breathing was coming in harsh gasps, his thrusts deeper and more deliberate. Scott knew that the other man was close. He was too. Over the weeks, they’d gotten good at reading each other’s signs and getting off together. Being so attuned to each other was a trait that had carried over seamlessly from training and missions to the bedroom. If Scott really thought about it (which he studiously didn’t), he wasn’t all that surprised. 

Logan braced himself on the bed, arms on either side of Scott’s body. Scott squeezed Logan’s forearms in warning before releasing them and reaching behind him for the railing of the headboard, his legs locked tightly around the other man. When his climax came, his body arched off the bed, the railing giving him just the right amount of leverage. He felt Logan’s right arm curl about his waist, holding him close as Logan pumped into him. He felt the jerk of Logan’s body as the other man came inside him, and even through the haze of his orgasm, Scott made a mental note that they should practice safer sex. Did he ever think a day would come when he’d let Logan bareback him? Well, _that_ day had long passed.

As they both came down from their high, Logan lowered them gently onto the bed, his arm still about Scott’s waist. He leaned over Scott and nuzzled his neck, seemingly breathing in Scott’s scent. Scott had noticed that Logan had been doing that a lot more of late. He dropped his right hand from the railing and onto Logan’s back, running it slowly up and down. The gesture had the expected reaction (not that Scott was _testing_ Logan) and after a few moments, Logan pulled out and rolled off of Scott. He quickly sat up at the side of Scott’s bed and began reaching for his discarded clothes on the floor. Scott stretched languidly as he eyed his strange bed partner. 

“Do you want to do something some time?” Scott asked suddenly, breaking the stillness in the room. 

Logan paused midway through putting on his T-shirt at Scott’s unexpected question. He seemed to think about it for a moment before the slipped the rest of the T-shirt on. 

“Do what?’ he asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. 

“I don’t know,” Scott admitted. He hadn’t been thinking clearly when he’d asked the previous question. Sex with Logan made him stupid. “Go out, I guess.” 

“Go out?” Logan repeated. There was no mistaking the incredulity in his voice. “You mean, like a date?”

Scott could feel himself flushing from embarrassment (and with Logan’s hyper senses, the other man probably knew that too). Had he really just done that? Asked Wolverine out _on a date_? But he was also Cyclops and he would see his stupidity through. 

“Yes,” he confirmed, underpinning his voice with the tone of command. 

Logan stood up and walked over to pick up his jeans from the floor. Said jeans had never even made it near the bed before being yanked off.

When no reply was forthcoming, Scott took Logan’s silence to be the answer itself and he inwardly sighed in relief. Logan had decided to be kind and to spare him any further embarrassment. Scott watched as Logan put on his jeans and then sat down in a nearby chair to tie the laces of his boots. Once he was fully dressed, the other man headed for the door. That’s what these encounters were always like: quick, efficient, sometimes violent. There was no lingering, no chatting, no enjoying the other person’s company. Scott had been silly to suggest that there could be more. But just as Logan put his hand on the doorknob, he looked back and said, “Not on Wednesday. Those are poker nights. Not Tuesday either since I have plans with Marie.” 

“Thursday?” Scott offered, before he could fully process what was happening. 

Logan gave him a curt nod. “Thursday,” he agreed, and then he was gone.

* * * * *

That was how Date Night with Logan began, if one could actually call it Date Night. At that point, they’d been sleeping together for almost two months and Scott was still a little hazy on how _that_ had started. (Was it in the Danger Room after a particularly heated one-on-one session? Or had it been later in the showers? When did sex become part of their _routine_?) Outwardly, their relationship didn’t change. Logan still teased, goaded and occasionally taunted him in public. No one on the team or in the school would ever mistake them for friends. But after the sex began, Scott thought he detected an undercurrent of affection from the other man, so subtle that no one else would pick up on it. After all, Logan’s behavior hadn’t changed. The most positive thing that could be said about their relationship was that it had become ‘professional’ during missions, and it remained cool when it came to everything else.

Scott had never lived a double life before and he was beginning to understand the appeal. There was something secretly thrilling about having a public verbal spat with Logan during the day, only for Logan to fuck him against his bedroom wall later that night. But after the first month of this, Scott began to wonder. He’d assumed (incorrectly, as it turned out) that Logan would eventually grow tired of their arrangement or move on to somebody else. And since what they did wasn’t public knowledge – no harm, no foul. Scott could chalk it up to a weird experimental phase. Except, Logan didn’t lose interest but he didn’t seem to want more either. For all the hustling he’d been forced to do as a teenager, a purely sexual relationship was new territory for Scott and he came to the realization that he couldn’t actually divorce sex from feelings. Which is how the idea of Date Night first popped into his head. He _wanted_ to get to know Logan better, to see if there was something there _beyond_ the sex. He knew that they were going about this backwards, but since when had anything with Logan been easy?

Date Night didn’t prove to be easy either. When the rest of the school heard about Cyclops and Wolverine spending time together outside of training and missions, the betting pools began. There were odds on when one of them would kill each other, or if they’d even come home after one of their ‘team bonding sessions.’ As for Logan, he never complained about Date Night, but Scott got the impression that the other man was simply humoring him. In a way, it was a backhanded compliment. It meant that the sex was good enough for Logan to jump through all the extra hoops just to get Scott in bed at the end of the night. (Scott had to admit that the sex was _very_ good.) For a month and a half, Scott planned Date Night for both of them, the night still masquerading as a form of ‘team bonding’ in the hope of ‘improving’ their personal relationship.

But on this particular Thursday, Scott was feeling incredibly tired, a sort of bone-deep fatigue that had settled sometime after lunch and had made his afternoon classes drag on. He could feel a migraine coming on as well, the kind he used to get when his power had first manifested and it felt like too much energy was building up at the back of his skull. He should probably go down to the Danger Room and shoot off a few beams. It was a quick, easy way to alleviate the pressure. The past week had been very stressful, both because of school concerns and also from the perspective of the X-Men. The mutant-hating Purifiers had resurfaced, and Scott had sent two teams out to monitor their activity. It meant that he hadn’t had any time to plan Date Night this week, and quite frankly, the thought of going out on a date with someone who wasn’t really interested was the last thing he wanted to do. Logan wouldn’t mind if he called off Date Night this one time – or if he called it off permanently, for that matter. They could go back to their previous arrangement until…well, until one of them found something better or got bored. It would end eventually. It had to.

Scott exited his last classroom of the day, a sheaf of papers tucked under his arm, determined to go in search of Logan. He didn’t have to search far. Logan rounded the corner of the hallway and walked straight toward him. 

“Oh, hey,” Scott said in greeting. (God, he sounded _tired_.) “I was just on my way to look for you.” 

“Found ya first,” Logan answered. He stopped in front of Scott. There seemed to be something different about the other man, but Scott couldn’t place it. 

“So, listen,” Scott began, quickly running through a list of excuses in his head. He settled for the truth. “This week has been exhausting. I thought we could take a rain check on this evening.” 

“Nope,” Logan replied with a shake of his head. “Ya don’t get to do that.” 

“What?” Scott said in confusion. 

“These nights were your idea,” Logan reminded him. “Ya don’t get to back outta them.” 

Scott felt a flare of irritation, which was mirrored by the intensification of his headache. “I disagree,” he said, adopting a lecturing tone. “Since these nights were _my_ idea, if anybody’s got a right to call them off, it would be me.”

Logan was shaking his head. “Nope,” he repeated. 

“Logan, I’ve been too busy to plan anything,” Scott snapped, his headache and Logan’s flippant attitude getting the better of him. 

“I guessed,” Logan said, sounding much too self-satisfied. 

_What did he have to be satisfied about?_ Scott wondered. 

“So, I took care of it.” 

“What?” 

Scott was even more confused. Did Logan just say he planned Date Night for them? That couldn’t be right. 

“I…took…care…of…it,” Logan repeated, enunciating his words slowly as if Scott were a four-year old. 

Scott’s blank expression didn’t change. In his exasperation, Logan reached down and grasped Scott’s free hand. Scott’s gaze followed the gesture, lingering on their joined hands uncomprehendingly. Was Logan holding his hand in a school hallway where anybody could walk by and see them? It was very uncharacteristic behavior. When he looked up again, Logan had the most earnest expression that Scott could ever recall seeing. And it was directed at _him_.

“Listen, Slim,” Logan said, a nickname he’d begun calling Scott of late. It had replaced the more derogatory One-Eye. “I know you’re tired, but come out with me tonight. It’ll be relaxing, I promise.” 

Scott couldn’t even fathom what relaxing meant in Logan-speak. A bar? Wrestling? Monster trucks? His hesitance must’ve showed because Logan added, “If ya don’t enjoy yerself or ya get too tired, we’ll come back. No strings attached.” 

Scott tilted his head to study the other man. Part of him was curious to see what Logan had planned. This was the first time Logan had shown any interest or taken any initiative toward Date Night. Even if they just wound up in some dive bar drinking beer and playing pool, it would still mean something, right? Another part of Scott was touched that Logan had noticed how busy he had been this week and had cared enough to plan ahead. It was wholly unexpected. 

“I don’t think I’m going to very good company tonight,” Scott finally said, giving in to Logan’s request. 

Logan shrugged, releasing Scott’s hand as he did so. “All I want is your company,” he said. 

Scott was so shocked by the sincerity of the other man’s words that he almost dropped his papers. Before he could respond, Logan was already walking away. 

“We gotta leave a little earlier though. Meet you outside at 4:30pm,” the other man called over his shoulder. “And bring a jacket or something. It’ll be chilly.” 

Scott was left standing outside his classroom wondering if Logan was possessed.

* * * * *

At 4:25pm, Scott headed downstairs. He’d opted to bring a jacket, but aside from that he was casually dressed. Casual for him, anyway. He briefly wondered if he should go back and change into a pair of jeans. He decided against it. The trousers and long-sleeved button down shirt he was wearing would pass in most places, and if Logan took them somewhere extremely casual, he’d just roll the sleeves up.

However, when Scott stepped outside the mansion, the sight of Logan leaning against one of his cars gave him pause. Logan had _cleaned up_. The other man was wearing an honest-to-God _suit_. Nothing fancy, just a well-cut pair of steel gray pants and a matching tailored jacket. The crisp white shirt underneath was unbuttoned at the collar and Logan wasn’t wearing a tie. Scott wasn’t even sure that Logan owned a suit. Maybe this was a rental. He walked towards the other man thoughtfully. 

“Am I underdressed?” he asked, when he was standing in front of Logan. 

“What makes you think that?” Logan asked with his arms crossed, as he continued to lean casually against the car door. 

Scott gestured at him. “You’re not wearing jeans,” he said, feeling like he was stating the obvious. 

“Ya look fine,” Logan told him. “All ya needed was a jacket.” He straightened up. “I’m driving,” he added.

Scott was still too tired to argue. Besides, Logan driving made sense since he had no idea where they were headed. He took the car keys out of his pants pocket and tossed them to the other man. Logan caught the keys effortlessly and proceeded to unlock the passenger door, which he’d been leaning against. He held the door open for Scott, who could only gape back at him. Scott remembered to shut his mouth before a bug flew inside. He looked around them and saw Rogue and Jubilee whispering together. Great, an audience. Scott shook his head. 

“Are you ill?” he asked Logan suspiciously. 

“Get in the car, Cyke,” Logan replied, but his eyes were laughing. 

Scott sighed and did as he was told. He was never more thankful for the upholstery job that he’d had specially commissioned for this particular vehicle. The plush front seat welcomed him and Scott sank into its comfortable embrace, shutting his eyes automatically. He heard Logan get into the driver’s side and then close and lock the doors. The engine started. 

“You can nap on the way,” Logan told him. 

The suggestion had the opposite effect as Scott opened his eyes and looked at the other man. 

“Where we’re going is _that_ far?” he questioned. 

“Not really,” Logan answered. “But ya look like yer about to collapse. Might as well use the drive to recharge.” 

Scott thought it was a brilliant idea and he settled even more comfortably into his seat. “Wake me when we get there,” he told his companion. He felt, rather than saw, Logan’s smile in return.

* * * * *

Scott was dreaming. The grass was a vivid green (he could still remember what green looked like) and the sky a cloudless blue. He heard a woman’s bright laugh and a flash of red hair. He turned in the direction of the sound but saw the flash of sleek metal glinting in the sun instead. Three adamantium claws…

There was a gentle tapping on his shoulder that brought him to consciousness. 

“We’re here,” Logan said. 

From the coolness of the car and Logan’s relaxed posture in the driver’s seat, Scott surmised that they may have been ‘here’ for a while and Logan had simply chosen to let him sleep. Scott straightened up in his seat, adjusting his glasses and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was grateful for the extra rest. He already felt more alert. 

“Where’s here?” he asked. 

“You’ll see,” Logan replied and then got out of the car. 

Scott followed suit. Logan had parked in a field. He couldn’t see what was remarkable about their destination until his gaze landed on the only thing there was to see. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said quietly. 

Logan had begun to walk ahead of him, but he stopped when he realized that Scott wasn’t following. “You okay back there?” he said. 

“A little surprised,” Scott admitted, joining the other man. They fell into step. “How’d you find out about this?” 

“Google.” 

At Scott’s amused glance, Logan added, “It was Marie’s idea.” 

“Marie?” Now Scott was even more surprised. How would Marie –? 

“She figured out what these nights were really about a month ago,” Logan explained. 

“Clever girl.” 

“Yup.” 

“So, she just came up to you one day and said, ‘Why don’t you take Scott up in a hot-air balloon?” 

They’d stopped walking and were standing in front of said hot-air balloon and its three attendants. 

“Pretty much.” 

“Do you even know how to fly this thing?” 

“That’s what he’s for.” Logan waved to the man already waiting inside the basket of the balloon. “Hey Ed,” he said. “This is my friend, Scott.” 

“Pleased to meet you,” Ed said, with his own friendly wave. He was a middle-aged man with a warm smile. 

Scott couldn’t help but notice how warmly Ed was dressed. He may have underestimated how cold it would be. “Likewise,” he replied. 

“You folks ready to go?” Ed asked. “You’ll be the last ones up. Don’t want to miss that sunset.” 

“We’re ready,” Logan answered. He motioned for Scott to go ahead of him. “Sleeping Beauty here needed some extra rest.” 

Scott inwardly cringed, giving Ed an apologetic smile as he stepped inside the basket. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he told their pilot. “It’s been an exhausting day.”

Ed brushed the apology aside. “Nah, don’t worry about it,” he said encouragingly. “Just don’t want you to miss the sunset. You’re paying good money for this time slot.”

Scott was struck then by how romantic the whole set-up was. (And romance was a word he’d never associated with the Wolverine before.) How many couples had Ed brought up in his hot air balloon just so they could watch the sunset? How many marriage proposals had Ed witnessed high up in the skies? Scott realized, as well, that Ed had automatically assumed that they were a couple (couples were probably his most frequent passengers), which marked the first time that he and Logan were being acknowledged as a couple, whether in public or private. (Because no matter how long they’d been sleeping together, Scott was hard pressed to think of Logan as his ‘boyfriend,’ and he wasn’t even sure that word existed in Logan’s vocabulary.) And just how much was this _costing_ the other man? Ed had referred to a ‘time slot,’ which meant that their time slot was in demand. That led to the conclusion that Logan had booked this trip in advance. Going up in a hot air balloon at this particular time was no spur of the moment decision.

Scott was contemplating all this as one of Ed’s companions secured the basket and then proceeded to untie the great knots anchoring the balloon to the ground. As each knot was undone, Ed opened the valves of the burners to allow more hot air to enter the balloon. Then they were rising steadily, free of their restraints and carried by a strong wind. 

“You don’t even like flying,” Scott chided, as the ground grew more distant below them. 

“Nope,” Logan agreed. He was standing behind Scott with his hands braced on the wicker railing. Scott could feel the heat of the other man’s body and understood that the proximity was to share body heat. The further up they went, the chillier it became. The wind had the bite of early spring. 

Logan leaned forward and Scott heard the other man’s voice in his ear. “But you do,” Logan said. “Like flying, I mean.” 

Scott knew that the warmth he felt at that moment didn’t just come from the nearness of the other man’s body. 

There was a thoughtful ‘hmm’ behind them that had both men turning around. 

“Everything all right?” Scott asked Ed. 

Ed looked at them from where he was controlling the burners that regulated the amount of heat entering the envelope of the balloon. “We’re carrying more weight than I anticipated,” Ed replied. “Not sure where it’s coming from.” 

Scott grinned and jerked his thumb in Logan’s direction. “This one’s a lot heavier than he looks,” he explained. 

Ed looked doubtful. “Can’t be _that_ heavy,” he said.

“Oh, you’d be surprised,” Scott said knowingly. He grinned at Logan and added, “Maybe you should cut back on the beer.” 

“Very funny, Summers,” Logan retorted, but he was grinning too.

The flight lasted about forty-five minutes. Scott felt energized by it, the fatigues of the week dropping away from him as he watched the sun set through the hazy shades of red of his ruby quartz glasses. The view was truly breathtaking and Scott was able to pick out the major landmarks, including the school in the distance. The hot air balloon grounds were south of New York City and Westchester. Logan, on the other hand, was noticeably tense. He gripped the railing of the basket whenever the balloon lurched unexpectedly. Scott took pity on him and eventually reached for his hand. (Holding hands in public. Another first for them.) He didn’t think Logan would mind, not when Ed assumed they were a couple anyway. Scott’s assumption was correct as Logan pulled him closer, close enough that he could hold Scott in a loose embrace. Nearness and Scott’s scent seemed to calm him.

For the most part, the flight was smooth. Ed was a good pilot and on their slow descent, Scott struck up a conversation with the other man. It turned out that Ed was not just a hot air balloon pilot but also an actual non-commercial pilot. He and Scott had a lot in common and they began swapping flight stories. Logan didn’t join in their conversation, but Scott could tell that he was listening attentively. Even as he carried on the conversation, Scott was aware of the presence of Logan’s hand on his right hip, as the other man leaned against the inside of the basket. It was such an unusual gesture for Logan. As casual as Logan tried to make it seem, there was nothing casual about it. It spoke of protectiveness, of propriety, of the acknowledgement that they were _together_ , and Scott found that he didn’t mind that one bit. 

When they landed, Logan said his thanks to Ed and then practically leaped out of the basket. 

“Not much for flying, is he?” Ed said to Scott, amused. 

“No,” Scott confirmed. “He hates it.” 

“Guess we know why he did this then,” Ed said with a twinkle in his eye. 

“I’m surprised,” Scott admitted. “But very appreciative. Thanks Ed, it was a great flight.” 

“My pleasure,” Ed replied. “You two have a lovely evening.”

Just as Scott was about to exit the basket, he paused and looked back at Ed. Logan was already on his way back to their car, but even at that distance Scott knew that Logan’s hyper-senses would pick up their conversation. He didn’t care. 

“Ed,” Scott began. “Would you know when Logan booked this trip?” 

“Oh, I’d say about three weeks ago,” Ed answered. “It was short notice, actually,” he went on. “We’re booked months in advance, but he was very adamant about it and we always try our best to accommodate late bookings.” 

Scott nodded. “Thanks again,” he told Ed. 

By the time Scott slid into the passenger’s seat of the car, dusk was rapidly falling and Logan had switched the headlights on. Scott pulled the seatbelt over his body feeling relaxed and content. 

“What’s next?” he asked Logan. 

Logan put the car into gear. “Funny you should ask…” he said, as he maneuvered them out of the field and onto the road.

* * * * *

Scott assumed that they were heading to dinner and the quiet rumbling of his stomach agreed with the decision. At this point, Logan could’ve brought them to the shittiest dive bar in New York State and Scott wouldn’t have complained. But then he glanced at Logan’s sharp steel gray suit and decided that a dive bar was unlikely.

Logan drove them into the city. By the time Scott figured out where they were going, he was quietly impressed. As Logan left the keys of their vehicle with the valet, Scott said to him, “You really should’ve told me to wear a tie.” 

Logan shrugged. “I’m not wearing a tie,” he replied. Then, in a gesture that Scott was quickly growing used to, Logan grasped his hand and led him into the main entrance of the Botanical Gardens. 

“So, what are we doing here?” Scott asked casually as Logan handed over their tickets to the ticket master. 

“Eating dinner, I hope,” Logan replied. “There’s a big exhibit here, some sculptor that hasn’t shown his work in years or something. On some evenings, they light up the sculptures.” 

“And tonight is one of those nights,” Scott finished for him. 

Logan shrugged again. “It’s supposed to be impressive,” he said. 

Scott stopped walking and tugged on Logan’s hand, forcing the other man to stop as well. Logan’s expression was slightly wary when he turned to look at Scott. 

“I'm already impressed,” Scott told him seriously. Scott couldn’t be sure, but he thought that Logan was blushing. To diffuse the tension, he added, “I’m also starving. Where’s that dinner?” 

They had dinner in the main plaza of the Visitor’s Center before heading out to view the exhibition called Chihuly Nights. Scott picked up a lavish brochure along the way that explained the history of the artist Dale Chihuly and gave a background on the exhibit, which consisted of twenty installations specially created for the Botanical Gardens, as well as some of the early drawings and work of the artist to show his development. Since the tram service didn’t run in the evenings, the brochure recommended two hours in order to be able to fully take in the exhibit. Scott wasn’t sure if Logan had the patience for a two-hour stroll through the gardens, but then he remembered how accommodating Logan had been all night.

“It would be worth it to come back during the day,” Scott commented as they stood in front of one of the large installations. “The play of light would be different.” 

“Exhibit’s supposed to run for six months,” Logan said. “They say it’ll look different as the seasons pass too.” 

“It’s been a long time since we brought the kids to the Botanical Gardens,” Scott said thoughtfully, as they drifted toward the next installation further down the path. “We could bring them here on a weekend. Or maybe Hank could make the visit part of their botany classes, turn it into a school field trip.” 

Logan gave him a sideways look. “Is that your way of asking me to chaperone?” he questioned. 

“Would you?” Scott teased back. 

“If you wanted me to,” Logan said, surprisingly seriously. 

Scott was so startled that he almost tripped over his own feet, but managed not to do so. 

“You’d have to chaperone too,” Logan said after a moment. 

Scott’s smile was warm. “Of course,” he agreed. 

They ended up staying until the exhibit closed at 10:00pm. As they waited for their car, Scott found that he didn’t want the evening to end.

“Nightcap?” he suggested as Logan put the car into gear. 

Logan nodded. “I know just the place,” he said. 

Scott assumed that Logan would bring them to a bar, but instead the other man drove out of the city. When Scott recognized that they were heading back to Westchester, he didn’t comment. He was all right with the idea of a nightcap at the school. Most of the students and even the teachers would be asleep by the time they arrived. But when Logan missed the turn heading for the school, Scott pointed that out. 

“Not going back to the school,” Logan answered. 

That statement piqued Scott’s interest. “Then where are we going?” he asked. 

“You’ll know soon enough,” was Logan’s mysterious answer.

Logan was right, however. Scott recognized where they were going as soon as they turned into a small country lane. He was impressed and surprised for the third time that night. How did Logan find out about this place? The Professor? Hank, maybe? Storm? When was the last time Scott had come here? With Jean, probably. When they were kids, the original five had often come here on the weekends. Later, when he and Jean were a couple, they’d also liked to come here for romantic weekends. Did it mean something that Logan was bringing him here tonight? It probably did.

Logan parked in the driveway at the side of the rustic lake house. Scott followed him out of the car and watched for a moment while Logan searched for the key in his pockets. When Logan began to curse under his breath, Scott walked over to the third potted plant, picked it up and got the spare key from underneath it. He passed the spare key to Logan with a wry smile. 

Inside the lake house, Scott began opening the windows to let out the musty air. Afterward, he relaxed on the welcoming sofa as Logan poured them their nightcaps. Logan came over with their drinks, passing Scott’s glass to him before settling beside him on the sofa. And though they had never done anything remotely like this before, Scott threw caution out the window and leaned into Logan’s side. He was rewarded by Logan’s right arm wrapping about his shoulders as they drank their brandy in peaceful silence. 

Cuddling with the Wolverine. Did he ever imagine _that_ would happen? 

“The kids have a betting pool about whether we’ll come home alive after these nights,” Scott said. “Somebody’s going to win if we’re not at the school tomorrow morning.” Because it was clear to Scott that they were spending the night at the lake house. 

“Jubilee,” Logan answered. 

Scott chuckled. “She saw us leave,” he commented. “And she was with Rogue. You don’t think Rogue told her what we’re really doing?” 

“Marie’s kept our secret.” 

Scott grew thoughtful. “And _are_ we going to keep this a secret?” 

“Dunno,” Logan answered truthfully. “Your call.”

Scott thought there was something a little strange in Logan’s response, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “I don’t mind if people know about us,” he admitted. He felt ready. He could deal with what people thought, approving or not. “Tonight, you didn’t seem to mind either.” 

Logan shook his head. “I guess not,” he agreed. 

Scott felt so comfortable against Logan’s side. The warmth of the other man’s body coupled with the cognac was making him sleepy. 

“Tonight was perfect,” he said. 

“Glad you thought so,” Logan replied. 

Scott could hear how pleased the other man was, not just in Logan’s voice but also in the faint rumble of contentment coming from the other man’s chest. It made him wonder if the Wolverine _purred_ on a regular basis. It was worth finding out.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Scott said slowly. “As perfect as tonight was, I’m too tired to have sex.” 

“We don’t have to have sex,” Logan responded, sounding puzzled. 

Scott’s corresponding chuckle seemed to disagree and he felt Logan go tense beside him. 

“Do ya think I’m just with you for the sex?” Logan asked suddenly. 

“Yes,” Scott answered, before he could stop himself. Fatigue and the cognac were stripping him of his usual defenses.

Logan sat up, dislodging Scott from his comfortable position. Scott could tell that the other man was really agitated now. Logan was shaking his head, muttering under his breath. Scott thought he heard the name ‘Marie’ and something about ‘being right.’ Marie was right. About what? 

Logan shook his head one more time as if to clear it, and then looked Scott squarely in the eye as he said, “It was never about the sex.” 

Scott was left speechless. The sincerity in Logan’s voice and in the expression on his face made Scott re-think everything he thought he knew about their ‘relationship.’ He came to the stunning conclusion that he’d been reading Logan incorrectly from the beginning. 

_It was never about the sex._

All the little details about Logan’s behavior fell into place. Why he didn’t seem to want more from Scott, but also didn’t seem to get bored either. Why he continued to act the way he did around their teammates and around the students – a mixture of teasing and goading – and yet followed Scott’s orders to the letter out in the field. Scott thought Logan had been maintaining appearances, too ashamed or embarrassed to admit to anyone that he enjoyed banging the Boy Scout in secret. But no, that wasn’t what was going on at all. And Logan’s earlier reaction to Scott’s suggestion about making their ‘relationship’ public only solidified his theory. ‘Your call,’ Logan had said. 

Logan was content to follow Scott’s lead. He was content with whatever Scott would give him and he wouldn’t ask for more because it _had never been about the sex_. Scott was almost staggered by the realization and humbled by how much Logan cared, how much Logan had cared _right from the start_. How foolish he’d been to mistake Logan’s behavior for disinterest or something purely physical. Their relationship _was_ physical but not in the way Scott had thought. He’d shared a telepathic bond with Jean so that they rarely had to talk. Jean had always been in his thoughts, a welcome presence in his mind. With Logan, they rarely talked as well, but that would have to change. They’d have to talk about the ‘big’ things just to avoid these sorts of misunderstandings. (Wasn’t that putting it mildly?) Perhaps being with Jean for so long had made him complacent about expressing himself verbally, not that he’d ever been particularly good at that. At least, not outside of leading the team. Scott instinctively knew how to dole out the right amount of criticism and praise, but talking about his feelings was entirely another matter. 

Logan, apparently, was just as verbally constipated as he was. He couldn’t tell Scott how he felt, but he could show him through gesture, and touch, and action because sex for Logan _had never been about the sex_.

Scott shook his head, all the while aware of Logan’s keen gaze on him. He polished off his brandy and placed the glass on top of the large oak coffee table in front of them before settling against Logan again, forcing the other man to relax back into the sofa. Scott wrapped his free arm around Logan’s waist and that sealed the deal. He could feel the tension drain from the other man’s body. 

“I was going to give up on this,” Scott admitted. It probably wasn’t the best thing to say since he felt Logan grow tense again.

“Ya mean Date Night?” Logan clarified. “Or…” he trailed off. 

Scott rubbed Logan’s side soothingly. “Date Night,” he confirmed. “I thought it wasn’t working. But I was wrong about that.” He chuckled. “I was wrong about a lot of things.” 

He felt and heard Logan exhale in relief. 

“We’re going to be just fine,” he stated. 

“Yeah, Cyke,” Logan agreed, his hand on Scott’s back, warm and comforting. “We are.”

 

**Fin.**

**Author's Note:**

> The merry mutants belong to Marvel and Fox. No infringement is intended; no profit is being made.


End file.
